Majority back
cold calling ban

Published:15:02Saturday 05 November 2011

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MORE than half of the residents on a Brighouse estate have given their support to ban cold callers.

Officers from the Lower Valley Neighbourhood Policing Team have been knocking on doors and speaking to people directly on Whinney Hill Park estate about the possibility of installing a ‘cold calling control zone’.

So far more than 50 per cent of residents have told police that they would like the area to be free of cold calling.

The main aim of the zones is to prevent incidents of doorstop crimes, raise awareness of the activities of rogue traders who target vulnerable people, and give residents the confidence to say no to uninvited callers as a community.

Sergeant Dean Maddocks, who leads the team, said they were confident that the control zone would be implemented before Christmas. “We had at least 45 people who came to a meeting held at the Community Centre within a two-hour period to listen and talk about the proposal.

“There was a representative there too from West Yorkshire Trading Standards,” he said.

“There has been an overwhelming amount of support for it so we are hoping to crack on with it as soon as possible. We have the funding from the Proceeds of Crime so it is just a matter of getting the information printed. Then we can do a bit of a roadshow when we launch it.”

The area was put forward by Sgt Maddocks in light of the two thefts which happened within nine days of each other on the estate.

In the first of the incidents, an 85-year-old man opened his door to a man claiming to be taking part in a charity bike ride. But when he fetched his wallet, the young man grabbed the wallet and fled.

In the second an 80-year-old woman was knocked to the floor after she was asked by a man if she could change a £10 note. But when she up her handbag the man grabbed the bag and knocked the pensioner to the floor.

All residents have been sent information about the scheme.

Police are still appealing for anyone with any information to contact them on 0845 6060606.